1984: Starting from a bankrupt Sichuan restaurant

Chapter 10 The Zhou family is truly blessed.
Xia Yao rode her aunt's bicycle to eat noodles. Zhou Erwa Restaurant was easy to find, right at the main entrance of the textile factory.

The bicycle stopped, and Xia Yao jumped off. She immediately saw a little girl in a floral jacket sitting at the entrance of the restaurant.

The little girl was so cute, with a round face, delicate features, and fair skin. She was eating candy, and when I looked up and saw her, I was stunned for a moment. She then spoke in a soft and adorable Sichuan accent, and it was a compliment.

"Little friend, you're so good." Xia Yao felt her heart melting. She rummaged in her pocket for a while, but she hadn't brought any snacks with her when she went out.

"Here, baby, have some candy." Meng Anhe parked her bicycle, took out two White Rabbit milk candies from her purse, and handed them to Zhou Momo with a smile.

"Big bunny!" Zhou Momo's eyes lit up. She reached out and took the candy, then looked up at Meng Anhe with a big smile and said, "Thank you, pretty auntie!"

"Hmm, so good." Meng Anhe looked at the little one with her smiling eyes and couldn't help but sigh to Xia Yao, "Daughters are so much better than my two little devils, who only cause me trouble."

“My cousins ​​are quite well-behaved,” Xia Yao said with a smile. “At least they’re quiet when they’re asleep, haha.”

"Are you two here for noodles?" Zhao Tieying greeted them with a smile.

Zhou Yan, who was preparing to take stock of the business, also looked towards the entrance, her eyes lighting up.

The girl on the left has a beautiful oval face, delicate eyebrows, cherry lips, and skin so white it seems to glow.

She was tall and slender, with long black hair cascading down her shoulders. A white long dress was cinched at the waist, highlighting her slender figure and elegant silhouette. She wore a light beige cardigan over her dress and carried a bulging handbag.

When she looked down at Zhou Momo, her eyebrows curved and her dimples were shallow, making her look bright and gentle.

The woman on the right looks to be in her early thirties, with big wavy hair, and she looks about six or seven parts similar to the girl next to her.

She wore a white pointed-collar shirt with a delicate gold button on the collar, flared trousers covering black mid-heeled leather shoes, and a red knitted cardigan over it.

She wore light blush and lipstick, exuding a powerful aura and radiating confidence and style.

Zhao Tieying looked at the two people standing at the door with a hint of amazement in her eyes. She subconsciously pulled her feet back and hid her patched old cloth shoes.

Among the middle-aged women in Zhoucun, she was considered fashionable.

But in front of these two women, she looked like a greenhorn.

She had only ever seen those big waves, bell-bottoms, and high-heeled shoes in movies. This fashion trend hadn't reached the village yet, and it was rare even in the town.

"Auntie, my name is Xia Yao. I'm here to thank Comrade Zhou Yan for saving my life," Xia Yao said with a smile to Zhao Tieying.

His tone was gentle, with the soft, melodious quality of a Jiangnan water town.

"Ah, it's you." Zhao Tieying suddenly realized that it was Deputy Factory Director Lin's niece. The other one must be Deputy Factory Director Lin's wife. No wonder she was so fashionable. She quickly turned around and called out, "Zhou Yan!"

Zhou Yan had already overheard their conversation and put the money into the drawer.

As the light dimmed at the entrance, a tall figure emerged.

Xia Yao looked up and was taken aback. She subconsciously looked up and saw how high it was!

At 1.82 meters tall, Zhou Yan was definitely considered tall in this era of scarcity, even a few centimeters taller than Lin Zhiqiang from the north, making him stand out in the crowd in Sichuan.

Looking at his face, he has distinct features, deep-set eyes, and a clean and handsome appearance. He also has a pair of charming eyes with a smile in the corners, looking at dogs with deep affection.

He was wearing a white cotton shirt, the kind of shirt chefs often wear in high-end hotels, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, one button undone at the collar, and a dark blue apron tied around his waist. The same clothes looked clean and well-fitting on him.

Xia Yao felt that even the captain of their art academy's most popular basketball team among girls wasn't as good-looking as him.

Meng Anhe looked Zhou Yan up and down and couldn't help but nod slightly. For a moment, she felt a sense of nostalgia for the first time she met Lin Zhiqiang in Moscow. Back then, he was the most handsome guy among the international students. In the blink of an eye, he already had a beer belly. A man's prime is just too short.

"Comrade Zhou Yan, I am Xia Yao. Thank you for jumping into the river to save me the day before yesterday." Xia Yao extended her hand to Zhou Yan with grace and poise.

"You're welcome." Zhou Yan reached out and gently shook her hand. Her hand was fair and slender, with exceptionally smooth skin, like a piece of warm jade, though slightly cool.

Xia Yao, however, felt that Zhou Yan's hands were particularly rough, especially his fingertips, which had thick calluses. Despite his young age, he was not lazy when it came to cooking.

"Are you from Zhejiang Province?" Zhou Yan felt a sense of familiarity with her accent, and his heart couldn't help but flutter.

Xia Yao nodded with some surprise: "I grew up in Hangzhou, but my ancestral home is Zhoushan. Have you ever been to Zhejiang Province?"

Zhao Tieying, standing to the side, also looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"No, it's just that I met someone from Zhejiang Province before, and I thought their accent sounded a bit like yours," Zhou Yan said with a smile, shaking his head and casually brushing it off.

"You're quite impressive. Xia Yao's accent is actually quite faint now," Meng Anhe said with a smile. "I'm Xia Yao's aunt. Thank you for saving Xia Yao. My husband, Lao Lin, praised you a lot when he came home yesterday. He went on a business trip yesterday afternoon, so I brought Xia Yao here today."

"You're too kind. I didn't think that much about it at the time, but anyone would have done the same in that situation," Zhou Yan quickly replied.

He observed that Lin Zhiqiang's wife didn't seem like a typical housewife; she exuded the aura of a strong woman, the kind who was decisive and authoritative at work. "Most people don't have this kind of courage; you're a true hero," Meng Anhe praised.

With the workers all at work, the vendors at the factory gate had also quieted down. When two fashionable women arrived at Zhou Erwa's restaurant, they all strained their ears and craned their necks to listen to the gossip, and some even came closer to watch the excitement.

Upon learning that the two women were Deputy Factory Director Lin's wife and niece, and that they had come to thank Zhou Yan, they all whispered among themselves.

"Didn't Deputy Factory Director Lin just give us a bicycle yesterday? Why are we thanking him again today?"

"People in the city are particular, so today the young lady will definitely come to thank us in person. But this young lady is really beautiful, even prettier than the female workers in the textile factory."

"They seem to be a good match for each other, a handsome man and a beautiful woman."

"What do you mean by 'a good match'? Zhou Yan is just a self-employed individual. Do you think a college student from the city would be interested in him?"

……

"This is a small thank-you gift I prepared." Xia Yao opened her handbag and began taking things out one by one.

Shanghai brand malted milk powder, Friendship face cream, Pechoin cold cream, whole cartons of Yuxi cigarettes...

The onlookers' eyes widened, their envy growing with each glance. These were rare items; normally, none of them would be willing to buy such things. City people are so generous!

"Sweetie, this is malted milk powder for you." Xia Yao handed the malted milk powder to Zhou Momo.

"Thank you, beautiful sister." Zhou Momo held the malted milk powder, her eyes shining. She had eaten this at her uncle's house during the Chinese New Year, and it was so sweet!

"Auntie, this snow cream and cold cream can prevent frostbite and cracking when applied in winter."

"This is too precious, I can't accept it. We usually just use some clam oil, there's no need for this." Zhao Tieying waved her hands repeatedly.

"This is better than clam oil. You can put some on Xiaobao's face when it's cold. These cigarettes are for Uncle. My uncle said they're good to smoke. I don't know if he'll like them. And this is yesterday's lunchbox." Xia Yao shoved the things into her hands.

"This... I can't possibly accept that," Zhao Tieying said, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.

This city girl is so thoughtful! She said she came to thank Zhou Yan, and she even brought gifts for them. She's generous and speaks so sweetly. I wish I could find a daughter-in-law like her.

Xia Yao took out a peacock blue fountain pen from her bag and handed it to Zhou Yan: "This fountain pen was a gift from my father. I hope you will accept it."

Zhou Yan looked at the Parker pen with its 24K gold-plated clip and cloisonné enamel top bead, and shook his head, saying, "This imported pen is too expensive. I already feel ashamed to accept the bicycle; I can't take away what others love."

She's quite the little rich girl; her family's financial situation is probably no worse than Lin Zhiqiang's. She's very well-mannered.

Meng Anhe looked at Zhou Yan with some surprise. He knew his stuff. This Parker 45 cost 45 yuan and could only be bought with foreign exchange certificates. It was a birthday gift from Xia Yao's father.

"You saved my life. If my dad were here, he would definitely want you to accept this." Xia Yao looked at him, her attitude resolute.

Zhou Yan hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took the pen, nodding and saying, "Then I'll accept it, thank you."

"You're welcome." Xia Yao's face lit up with a smile again. "I had your pork rib noodles yesterday, they were so delicious! My aunt and I haven't had breakfast yet, so we came here specifically for noodles."

"Goodness, come in and sit down, let Zhou Yan make it for you right away," Zhao Tieying said with a smile.

"Okay." Xia Yao responded softly, her dimples deepening. The way she addressed her as a "Sichuan-Chongqing auntie" always made people feel warm and friendly.

"The menu is on the wall." Zhou Yan also came in.

Seeing Zhou Yan and the others go into the shop, the vendors started talking amongst themselves again.

"Friendship face cream and Pechoin cold cream, things that only rich women in the city use, and you just give them away like that."

"I'll just deliver a carton of Yuxi cigarettes; a carton of these costs thirty!"

"The Zhou family is truly blessed!"

"See that pen? The factory manager always wears the same one in his breast pocket, just a different color. Last time I heard Director Liu say it's called a Parker pen, an American product, and it costs 45 yuan a pen!"

"Oh my goodness! Forty-five?!"

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd; everyone was stunned and speechless.

A small fountain pen cost more than a textile factory worker's monthly salary! The girl gave it away casually!

Zhou Yan has really struck it rich this time.

Wang Laowu and his wife turned green with shock. Not only had their business been snatched away, but seeing Zhou Yan making a fortune was something they couldn't stand!

(End of this chapter)